Machine for forming sheets of insulating material



Feb. 14, 1928.

- 1,659,240 c. M. CLARKE MACHINE FOR FORMING SHEETS OF INSULATINGMATERIAL Filed July 29, 1926 7Q Patented F eb. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES CECIL M. CLARKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR FORMING SHEETS OF INSULATING MATERIAL.

Application filed July 29,

The invention is designed primarily to provide means for formingimproved insulating sheets for covering pipes, boilers, or the like. Anexample of the insulating sheet for the manufacture of which thisinvention is more particularly intended is shown in an application forLetters Patent Serial No. 125,611, filed July 29, 1926. It will beunderstood, however, that the machine hereinafter described may beemployed for other purposes and that the details of the invention may bevaried without departing from the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a machine embodying myinvention; Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the crushing rolls; Figure3 is an edge view of an insulating sheet produced on my improvedmachine; Figure 4 is a view showing how the sheet of Fig. 3 may becoiled to form a pipe covering, and Figures 5 and 6 are edge views ofmodi lied forms of sheets.

By reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that theinsulating sheet from which the pipe covering is formed is a compositesheet comprising a corrugated sheet 5, to which is attached a relativelyfiat sheet 6, these sheets being preferably of asbestos or likematerial. In order to form a highly efficient pipe covering (embodyingthe features of advantage fully set forth in the hereinbefore mentionedapplication of even date herewith), portions of the composite insulatingsheet are crushed and flattened, as indicated at 7 in Fig. 3, whileother portionsare left relatively uncrushed as indicated at 8. 1

To effect the periodic crushing or flattening of predetermined portionsof the composite sheet, I employ suitable crushing rolls 10 and 11 andprovide means whereby these rolls may be thrown out of action whilethose portions of the insulating sheet that are to remain unfiattenedare passing between the crushing rolls. The rolls 10 and 11 are suitablyjournaled in bearings carried by the frame standards 12, and, as shown,the lower crushing roll 10 has a gear wheel 13 on its shaft 14 by whichthe driving of the roll 10 will be effected. As shown, the journals 15.of the upper crushing roll 11 are mounted within vertical slots orbearings 16 to permit the upper crushing roll to be raised periodicallyout of action. On the outer ends of the journals 15 of the roll 11 arefixed the 20 also pass around suitable pulleys 22 the standard 23.

spur wheels 18, the peripheries of the crush- 1926. Serial No. 125312.

ing to the spurs 18 of the spur wheels 18,

so as to insure an accurate movement of the belts 20 with the spurwheels 18. The belts shaft of which is journaled in a frame Referringmore particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that eachof the belts 20 is formed witha thin portion 24 and with a thickerportion 25, these parts merging together along the cam-shaped sur faces26 of the belt. When the thinner portions 24 of the belts are passingaround the.

ing rolls 10 and 11. will be sufficiently 'close together to eflectivelycrush or flatten the corrugations of the insulating'sheet at such timepassing through the crushing roll; but when the thicker portions 25of-the belts are passing around the spur wheels 18, the engagement ofsuch thicker portions 25 of the belts'with the pulleys 17 of the uppercrushing roll 11 will cause the upper crushing roll to be raised out ofaction so that it will leave that part of the insulating sheet at suchtime passing between the rolls relatively uncrushed. It will beunderstood, of course, that various other means may be em ployed toeffect the periodic throwing of the crushing rolls into and out ofoperation without departing from the spirit of the inof the crushingrolls into and out of action. 100

To enable such differentlengths of belts to be employed, I preferablyprovide the frame or standards 23 that carry the pulleys 22, so thatthis frame or standards 23 may be adjusted towards and from the crushingrolls. 105

One convenient way to effect this adjustment of the frame or standards23 is to mount the same upon a base 30, into which will pass adjustingbolts 31 that pass through the flanges 82 of the base or standards 23.

In making a pipe covering such, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 4 ofthe drawings, it will be seen that the ply or layer of the insulatingsheet that comes immediately next the pipe to be covered will beflattened or crushed, and if the pipe should he say three inches indiameter, such flat or crushed portion 7 of the sheet should beapproximately nine inches long. So, also, it will be seen by referenceto Fig. 4:, that if the insulating covering is to comprise say threelayers of the uncrushed sheet, then the length of such uncrushed portionof the sheet would be approximately thirty inches, and if the outer plyof the insulating sheet is to be entirely flattened, the length of suchcrushed or flattened portion of the sheet should be approximately twelveinches.

By reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that in formingthe insulating sheet with crushed and uncrushed portions, the crushed orflattened portions that are to form both the inner ply and the outermostply of the insulating covering may come together, and in such case (fora three inch pipe, for example) the combined lengths ofthe flattened orcrushed portion will be about twenty-one inches, while the uncrushedportion of the sheet will be about thirty inches long.

It will be understood, of course, that the composite sheet before it ispassed through the crushing rolls will be entirely uuerushed and will bein a long continuous strip. As this strip is passed through the crushingrolls, it will be severed to form a plurality of individual sheets ofproper length to make the individual pipe coverings, and by reference toFig. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the continuous strip, afterit has passed through the crushing roll, will be severed transversely ofthe fiat or crushed portion so as to leave at one end of each individualstrip a flat portion, say nine inches long (to immediately encircle thepipe) and at its other end a flattened or crushed strip say twelveinches long, to form the outer ply of the insulating covering. Byvarying the spreader belts 20 and by properly proportioning therelatively thick and thin parts of the belts, the insulating sheet maybe formed wit-h crushed and uncrushed portions of any desired length.

In addition to effecting the periodic crushing or flattening ofpredetermined portions of the composite sheet as by crushing thecorrugations 5 as indicated at 7 to produce thinner portions, saidflattening may be produced by causing the withdrawing means on which thesheet is wound or which receives the sheet from the rollers, tointermittently feed or pull the same faster than usually fed, therebycausing portions of the sheetto be kept-fiat or pulled out flat andrelatively plain and smooth between the corrugated portions, asindicated at 7 a in Fig. 5. These flat portions will be used in the samemanner as the crushed portions or corrugations heretofore described.01', the crushed or flattened portions may be smaller corrugationsformed intermittently in the same manner as the crushing of the fullcorrugations is effected as shown at 7 b in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Vihile I have described what I regard as the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be seen that the details of the invention may bevaried within wide scope without departing therefrom and that featuresof the invention may be employed without its adoption as an entirety.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for forming sheets ofinsulating material, the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, ofan automatic pattern device passing between said rolls for moving one ofsaid rolls into and out of action with respect to the other roll tocause portions of said sheet to be compressed and to leave otherportions of said sheet relatively uncompressed.

2. In a machine for forming sheets of insulating material, thecombination with a pair ofcrushing rolls, of means passing between saidrolls for automatically throwing said rolls into and out of action tocause portions of said sheets to be compressed and to leave otherportions of said sheet relatively uncompressed.

3. In a machine for forming sheets of insulating material, thecombination with a pair of crushing rolls, of a pattern device havingrelatively thin and thick portions and said device passing between saidrolls for automatically moving one of said rolls into and out of actionwith respect to the other roll to cause predetermined lengths of saidsheet to be crushed and to leave predetermined lengths of said sheetsrelatively uncrushed.

4. In a machine for forming sheets of corrugated insulating material,the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, of movable spreader meansfor periodically separating the crushing rolls to permit portions of thesheet to pass through the rolls without being flattened.

. 5. In a machine for forming sheets of corrugated insulating material,the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, of an endless spreaderbelt geared to move in unison with said rolls, said belt havinga partadapted to periodically relieve the crushing action of the rolls uponthe sheet.

6. In a machine for forming sheets of corrugated insulating material,the combinawith one of said rolls, said belt having relatively thick andthin parts of predetermined lengths to cause the crushing rolls to bethrown into and out of action.

7. In a machine for forming sheets of corrugated insulating material,the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, of a spreader belt gearedto move in unison with one of said rolls, said belt being arranged tothrow said rolls out of action, a pulley for supporting said belt, andmeans for adjusting said pulley back and forth to accommodate belts ofdifferent lengths.

8. In a machine for forming sheets of corrugated insulating material,the combina tion with a pair of crushing rolls, the upper one of saidrolls being vertically movable, of a spur wheel fixed to the lowercrushing roll, a belt geared to move in unison with said spur wheel andhaving relatively thick and thin portions, and a pulley connected to theupper crushing roll and adapted to engage said belt.

9. In a machine for forming sheets of insulating material, thecombination with a support and a pair of rolls mounted therein, one ofsaid rolls being loosely mounted in said support, of means passingbetween said rolls for moving said loosely -mounted roll into and out ofaction with respect to the other roll to cause portions of said sheet tobe flattened and to lea-ve'other portions of said sheet relativelyunfiattened.

10. In a machine forforming corrugated sheets of insulating material,the combination with a support and a pair of rolls mounted therein, oneof said rolls being loosely mounted in said support, of means passingbetween said rolls for automatically throwing said loosely mounted rollinto and out of action with respect to the other roll to causepredetermined lengths of said sheet to be flattened, and to leavepredetermined lengths of said sheets relatively unfiattened.

11. A press of the type defined comprising a feed member for the objectto be pressed, a member for exerting pressure on said object, and acontrol member passing between said aforementioned members and havingmeans thereon for automatically rendering said pressure memberinoperative.

12. A press of the type described comprising means for continuouslyfeeding the object to be pressed, a pressure member for exertingpressure on said object, and a control member passing between saidaforementioned members and having means thereon for automaticallyrendering said pressure device alternately inoperative or eiiective asthe object is continuously fed therebeneath.-

QECILYM. CLARKE.

